On March 1, IFES hosted a group of six public officials and civil society leaders from Iraq for a discussion of political and electoral processes in the United States.

The group included press officers for local and national government offices, leaders of human rights and nongovernmental organizations, and a deputy provincial governor. All were visiting the United States for the first time.

Vassia Stoilov, program officer for IFES’ Middle East and North Africa Division, presented an overview of the U.S. electoral system and explained variations in registration practices, voting technology and election law among the 50 states. She answered questions about the role of the federal government in regulating and funding the country’s decentralized electoral system.

The visit to IFES was part of a three-week trip coordinated by the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program and the Academy for Educational Development. The program was designed to introduce the Iraqi visitors to the American political process and illustrate the role of civic organizations, media and other groups in shaping the country’s political system.